Dairy Queen was founded as Dairy Queen in Joliet, Illinois, in 1940.
The first Dairy Queen store opened after the soft-serve ice-cream process developed by John Fremont McCullough and his son, Alex. Sherb Noble, a friend and business associate, helped test the product and opened the first store in Joliet. The business sold soft serve from a machine that could produce a smooth, quickly served frozen dessert.
Dairy Queen grew through franchising and became especially associated with soft-serve cones, sundaes, and the Blizzard, which arrived decades later. Its name refers to the company’s positioning of its soft-serve product as a leading frozen dairy treat.
The Joliet opening is distinct from later corporate milestones and from the introduction of specific menu products. Dairy Queen was already operating as a chain long before the Blizzard became its best-known signature item.